Status report on the Rowdy Roadie: The kind folks at Camp Firestone did all they could do to get us rolling. The Transmission will not shift from second to third (or forth) so travel is really slow and no speedometer. They recommended the best transmission shop in Missoula so we have moved to Jerry’s Campground (normally known as Jerry’s Transmission.)
After analysis they have determined it is an electrical problem between the electrical fuses under the drivers dash and somewhere in the bowels of the transmission before the speed sensors. Since we are surrounded by mountains we cannot travel until they get to the bottom of this.
My son-in-law graduated from The University of Montana here in Missoula so we stopped by for a photo opp for memories sake.
Campus Sign
Lots of interesting historic houses near the campus....one with its own chicken house right in the center of town.
Hailey found eclectic.....
Not exactly ordinary lawn ornaments.
We are starting Day 2 at Jerry’s Campground. Again they are providing us with electricity and yesterday they had a loaner car available so we were able to do some sightseeing in Missoula, which kept us happy and out of the mechanics way. Well, for the most part anyway. Anxiety overtakes me from time to time, mostly at 3:00 AM or when we don’t have something to do.
Missoula is a beautiful river town which flows right through the center of town and zig zags through the populated area.
While we had the car, we did some sight seeing and found Travelers Rest State Park. In 1805 the Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through The Bitterroot Valley and stopped along banks of the to rest. We did a short 1/2 mile hike through the area and were able to walk the grounds as had Lewis and Clark. Though surrounded by modern modern, it is quite easy to envision the expedition at this place.
Lolo Mountain in the middle. The Lewis and Clark made their way through the mountains by this Mountain Passage.
Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, is an interesting Museum that covers a wide variety of aspects of pioneer to modern day uses from this area.
The Building of the Fort began in 1877 in response to local townspeople desiring protection from in the event of conflict with the local Montana Tribes. It was designed as an open fort without walls as was common in Forts west of the Mississippi. Soldiers patrolled the perimeter to ensure the safety of the area. They had barely begun construction when they received orders to stop the flight of the Nez Perce who had refused to move to a reservation in Idaho. They were ordered to disarm and arrest the Native People as they continued along the Nez Perce Trail.
The Fort has had many other uses over the years. First as a military installation that housed the 25 the Infantry who arrived in 1888. In 1896, a bicycle Corp tested using bicycle for the military purposes. It was later determined that the bicycle had limited use and would never replace the horse. The fort was used for military training in WWI and was nearly abandoned by 1921. It became a Regional Civilian Conservation Center in 1933. In 1941 it was transferred to the Department of Immigration to be used as a Detention Center for detained Italian internees as well as Japanese-Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, another dark chapter in American History. Well established Americans of Japanese descent were imprisoned in buildings such as this until they were later reunited with their families at other camps such as Manzanar.
In 1988 President Regan sign legislation apologizing for the imprisonment of these Americans and ordered reparations to be paid to the imprisoned or their families, however no reparations were ever given to those who had been at FT Missoula.
It also became a prison for American personnel accused of military crimes following World War II. The Fort was decommissioned in 1947.
Today the remaining land and buildings are managed by mostly non military agencies and a fitting location for a Museum deadicated to the history of the Bitterroot Valley.
Other displays include a Firewatch Tower and a Forest Industry Products with sawmill and equipment on display.
In spite of the overlying stress of the mechanical breakdown, and surrounded by the town, the sky opened up to a beautiful sunset at Camp Jerry’s.
Happy Trails
